Aria's pov
I woke up on Andre's couch just before dawn, neck stiff, eyes puffy from crying in my sleep.
After the loan sharks kicked in my door, Andre had insisted I stay the night. "No way I'm letting you go back to that apartment alone," he'd said, already pulling out extra pillows. "Those animals know where you live. You sleep here until we figure something out."
As I slipped into the same black blazer and skirt from yesterday, I caught my reflection in his hallway mirror. The woman staring back looked haunted with dark circles under her eye and hair scraped into a perfect bun.
Andre handed me a travel mug of coffee as I headed out. "Are you ready babe?"he asked, his eyes peering into mine.
"Yes,"I replied with a nod.
"Alright then, keep your head high. And text me the second anything feels off."
I nodded, hugged him quickly, and stepped into the streets of London .
The drive to Voss Enterprises felt longer than it should. I kept glancing in the side mirrors, half expecting to see the scarred man on a motorcycle.
But the streets were quiet, just delivery vans and early commuters. Still, my pulse stayed high the entire ride.
When I stepped into the lobby at 7:55 a.m., the stares hit me immediately,heads turned while whispers followed.
A group of women near the reception desk lowered their voices as I passed. One guy in a suit gave me a small, pitying smile and murmured, "Good luck."
Another woman, older, actually reached out and squeezed my arm lightly. "You've got this, dear."
I felt my cheeks burn,of course they knew. The social media storm hadn't died down,my public meltdown at the Grand Horizon Hotel and the viral clips of me screaming that Ethan stole my company, the trending hashtags calling me everything from "unhinged ex" to "desperate gold-digger."
And now here I was, walking into the most powerful company in the city like nothing happened.
I kept my chin up, shoulders back, and ignored every single pair of eyes. Let them stare with pity.I'd gladly take pity over nothing any day. At least that meant I was still visible.
The private elevator to the 52nd floor was silent except for the soft ding. When the doors opened, a young assistant,nervous, clipboard in hand,met me by the door.
"Miss Thorne? Mr. Voss is expecting you,this way please."
She led me past open-plan desks where more eyes followed my every step, then stopped at the massive double doors of the corner office.
I took a breath and pushed them open,
Lucian Voss was already there.
He sat behind a sleek black desk the size of a small car, sleeves of his white shirt rolled to the elbows, his dark hair was slightly tousled as though he'd been running his fingers through it.
He was surrounded by a lot of files,obviously swamped with work.
"Miss Thorne. Right on time."
I walked forward,"Good morning, Mr. Voss."
He gestured to the chair opposite him without looking away. "Sit."
He pushed a thick stack of files across the desk toward me. "These need sorting. Priority contracts first are the one on red tabs then supplier agreements are the blue ones.
Shred anything older than eighteen months unless it has my initials,you'll find the shredder behind you."
I nodded, reaching for the stack.
He leaned back in his chair, watching me with that unreadable expression.
The silence stretched,long enough that I felt the weight of it pressing on my chest.
Finally, he spoke again.
"You slept well, I hope?"
The question caught me off guard. "Yes I did, although I crashed at a friend's place."
He nodded once, like he already knew. "Wise,uour apartment is compromised."
My fingers tightened around the files. "You know about the loan sharks?"
"I know many things, Miss Thorne." He tilted his head slightly. "And besides,your ex-husband has quite the talent for leaving messes behind."
I swallowed. "He's good at that."
Lucian's gaze drifted over me,assessing, not leering. "And you're good at surviving them so far , that takes a lot of girth."
I didn't know how to respond to that,so I didn't.
He stood slowly, walking around the desk until he was leaning against it, arms crossed, he looked down at me. Close enough that I could smell his cologne.
"I've been watching the news," he said. "The launch,the drama at the hotel and most especially your sudden negative popularity on social media. Your ex seems to be enjoying his moment in the sun."
My jaw clenched. "He stole everything I built."
"I know." Lucian's tone didn't change. "I also know he transferred debt into your name, mortgaged your inheritance, and left you to clean up the wreckage. That's why you're here."
I met his eyes. "I'm here because I need a job."
"You're here because you need power," he corrected quietly. "And I have plenty of it."
Something in his voice made my pulse skip.
But it didn't end there ,he studied me for another moment, then asked the question that stopped my heart.
"Would you like to marry me, Miss Aria?"
The room tilted.
I stared at him, waiting for the punchline or a loud laugh to explain that it was a big joke.None came.
"You're serious?" My voice came out small.
"Completely." He didn't smile nor soften his expression,just held my gaze with that same calm intensity.
"It's going to be a marriage of convenience.Two years and you get complete debt relief,every pound Ethan saddled you with, including the loan sharks. In exchange, you become my wife on paper, live in my home, attend events with me by your side and play the role of a dutiful wife."
I felt my mouth go dry. "Why?"
"Because I need something too." He straightened, hands slipping into his pockets. "You don't have to answer now anyway," he continued. "But just know that the offer expires at the end of tomorrow."
I sat there, files forgotten in my lap,could this be the solution I have been seeking for,or this be a proposal from another devil?
"But sir-" I was about to protest but he cut in with a more horrifying condition.
"And one more thing Aria, the contract includes submitting to me sexually, whenever I desire it,no excuses"he added, barely looking at me.
"Excuse me?"